Ordinary (Ordinary Series Book 1) by Starr Z. Davies Genre: YA Sci-Fi Dystopian
Fans of Powerless, The Testing, Hunger Games and the Maze Runner will crave this world of iniquitous secrets, intrigue, and desire to find a place in society.
Divinic. Somatic. Psionic. Naturalist. Who will you be?
Having a superpower is ordinary. Your Power determines your job, social class, and future success.
But Ugene doesn’t have a Power. The only thing special about him is that he isn’t special at all. Ugene is Powerless.
So when the most prominent biomedical research company in the city offers Ugene a solution, he jumps at the possibility to be ordinary. All he has to do is agree to allow them to use him in their research. But the longer he stays at the research facility, the more he realizes something isn’t right.
Friendships are forged. Trust is broken built and broken. And everything Ugene thought he understood and believed is called into question.
Who can Ugene trust in his search for answers? What is he willing to sacrifice for Powers?
Unique (Ordinary Series Book 2) by Starr Z. Davies Genre: YA Sci-Fi Dystopian
He lost everything. His dad, his best friend, and the woman he loves.
Ugene and the other test subjects escaped Paragon. They thought they were finally safe. But the battle for freedom is far from over.
When a rouge group calling themselves the Protectorate offers to help Ugene, he worries that his friends are falling into another dangerous trap. The struggle for freedom becomes a desperate fight for survival. Ugene is determined to stand up for what’s right and save the oppressed citizens of Elpis from persecution by Paragon and the Directorate.
The deeper Ugene digs, the more he uncovers about the Directorate’s sinister secrets, the Protectorate’s true goals . . . and the dangerous game he is about to play.
It’s time for the deception to end. It’s time for the truth to finally come to the surface. And it’s time for everyone to finally learn that being Powerless isn’t weakness.
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STARR Z. DAVIES is a Midwesterner at heart, and lives in Wisconsin with her husband and kids. From a young age, Starr has been obsessed with superheroes like Batman and Captain America, which inspired her novel, ORDINARY. If Starr had a superpower, she would be an Empath, because she is an emotional sponge and easily relates to how others feel.
While pursuing a degree in Creative Writing from the University of Wisconsin, Starr gained a reputation as the “Character Assassin” because she has a habit of utterly destroying her characters both emotionally and physically.
In her free time, Starr loves watching Doctor Who or anything with superheroes, reading books (duh!), writing about her favorite fantasy stories (Song of Ice and Fire, Mistborn, The Wheel of Time), and staring out the window as she dreams up more stories. Oh, and sometimes she steps out the door.
5 F U N F A C T S A B O U T S T A R R Z . D A V I E S
1. Starr is short for Starrburst, her given Native American name.
2. Starr is a big fan of cheesy puns and 5th grade humor and will often laugh at her own jokes before anyone else. Ex: What’s ET short for? Cuz he’s got small legs!
3. Starr’s favorite quote is from Batman Begins (of course, a superhero!): “It’s not who you are, but what you do that defines you.” She tries to live by this ideology.
4. Starr loves to fantasize about who would star in a film as her characters. In fact, she sometimes “casts” actors on her social media feeds by posting pictures. After seeing Detective Pikachu, no one else but Justice Smith would satisfy her as Ugene.
5. If she were to choose a superhero whose personality is most like her own, Starr would be Spiderman—nerdy, awkward, and witty, but always eager to do the right thing to help others.
Virtual Theatre Performance from The Belles of Whitechapel ~ The Victims of Jack the Ripper Speak, written by Wayne Miller/ Directed by Nina Soden
Actress Sherri Ryan
Sherri Ryan has been fortunate to have been acting and directing for over 50 years… “Wow, sounds old when I say it that way,” she stated! As a theatre teacher, she says she was blessed to work with amazing Sparkman High School students until she retired in 2015. Her favorite rolls include, Mame in ‘Mame’, Anita in ‘West Side Story’, Doris in ‘Same Time Next Year’, Ouisa in ‘Six Degrees of Separation’, Clairee in ‘Steele Magnolias’, and playing Annie Chapman!!! After 10 years of NOT acting, she says a 15-minute monologue can really rattle you, but that she is thankful for this opportunity.
When asked her thoughts on “Dark Annie’ Chapman’s monologue, Sherri had this to say: When Nina first asked me to take on the role of Annie Chapman, I was thrilled that at 67, I was going to do “theatre” again. (It has been 10 years since I was last on stage). THEN I saw the script. WOW. 15 minutes of a monologue AND with an accent. It was such a challenge but I finally did it and so appreciated the opportunity. I have always enjoyed doing film work as well as performing on stage. This was quite fun though with only 2 weeks of studying, filming for 30 minutes, and you are finished with the project.
But now I miss Annie! What a character I was fortunate enough to bring back to life, or death!! She had spunk, edgy charm, and her own unique take on life. Learning her dialogue and putting it into perspective in order to capture her was like peeling an onion, lots of layers. I appreciate the writing of Wayne Miller so much, the direction of Nina Soden, and the opportunity to get to know “Dark Annie Chapman”.
A Note from the Director
As a writer, I can appreciate every word Wayne put into this script. His research and dedication to his writing did these women proud. As an actress, I hope to one day play all the roles so I can truly connect with each of them on an emotional level. As a director, I am both honored and humbled that Wayne would trust me with this production. I have loved working with each of these actresses and believe that in the short time we had together (2 weeks start to finish) each and every one of them have given a beautiful performance. ~ Nina Soden
WAYNE MILLER is the owner and creative director of EVIL CHEEZ PRODUCTIONS and is the Grand High Poobah of CHEEZISM, the movement he founded (it isn’t organized enough to be called a religion, besides which it isn’t religious) dedicated to providing audiences with the finest in entertainment options on the page and for the stage. (On the big screen, too, if Spielberg ever returns any of his phone calls.) Wayne has been writing stories literally since before he learned his alphabet—he drew pictures. After languishing in the nether-regions of the publishing industry for years, working as an acquisitions editor for a literary agency, he chose, as an experiment, to combine his passion for writing with his hobby of Theatre, and in the process, by accident and Providence, discovered his life’s purpose: to be a showman.
Describing himself as a cross between Edgar Allan Poe and P.T. Barnum, Miller is a devotee of Ed Wood, the “worst director of all time!” who inspires Wayne due to his unflappable dedication to his muse and unrestrainable creative drive.
Wayne Miller and Tanya Miller of Evil Cheez Productions for allowing me the honor of producing and directing this amazing play. Through his script, Wayne has done a wonderful job of bringing these women back to life, even if just for a few minutes, to tell their story. Make sure you check out Evil Cheez online and learn about their upcoming productions.
Theatre Huntsville for letting us use The Studio Theatre space at Lowe Mill and for providing the professional lighting design. You can find them, and their upcoming productions, online by clicking HERE or on Facebook.
Please like, share, subscribe, and comment so more people can share in this virtual theatre experience.
To watch all seven scenes, follow the link below to the YouTube playlist.
To read the actresses comments about their characters, click on the links below and you’ll be taken to the individual posts!
Virtual Theatre Performance from The Belles of Whitechapel ~ The Victims of Jack the Ripper Speak, written by Wayne Miller / Directed by Nina Soden
Actress Tanja Lewis Miller
Tanja Lewis Miller is honored at the opportunity to reprise the role of Polly Nichols and to, once again, give her a voice. Involved in theatre since childhood, she has acted in and/or directed and/or produced countless productions in North Alabama. Like, literally, she can’t remember how many. She is the co-owner of Evil Cheez Productions, along with her highly creative hubby Wayne, and it’s a safe bet you’ve seen her on the stage somewhere. Much love to Nina and the rest of the amazingly talented cast for allowing her to share the airwaves with them. And a huge thank you to YOU, the audience, for helping to keep theatre alive.
When asked her thoughts on Polly Nichols’ monologue, Tanja had this to say: As the playwright’s wife, I was allowed to read all of the monologues before anyone else, and I fell in love with Polly from her first line, “Do you like my new bonnet?” She’s an optimist. She’s not going to let her situation drag her down. She’s strong, stubborn, and she uses her quick wit as a defense mechanism. She doesn’t defend her faults, but she doesn’t dwell either. She’s someone I can relate to. She’s someone EVERYONE can relate to.
When asked about the process of performing virtual theatre, she said: As far as the process, I’ll take a live audience any day of the week and twice on Sundays. I’m not the biggest fan of being on film. However, I’ll also take theatre any way I can get it. Call me an addict, if you will, but once the acting bug bit, I became a lifer. I will say that Nina made it as painless as possible, and it’s always a joy to work with her.
A Note from the Director
As a writer, I can appreciate every word Wayne put into this script. His research and dedication to his writing did these women proud. As an actress, I hope to one day play all the roles so I can truly connect with each of them on an emotional level. As a director, I am both honored and humbled that Wayne would trust me with this production. I have loved working with each of these actresses and believe that in the short time we had together (2 weeks start to finish) each and every one of them have given a beautiful performance. ~ Nina Soden
WAYNE MILLER is the owner and creative director of EVIL CHEEZ PRODUCTIONS and is the Grand High Poobah of CHEEZISM, the movement he founded (it isn’t organized enough to be called a religion, besides which it isn’t religious) dedicated to providing audiences with the finest in entertainment options on the page and for the stage. (On the big screen, too, if Spielberg ever returns any of his phone calls.) Wayne has been writing stories literally since before he learned his alphabet—he drew pictures. After languishing in the nether-regions of the publishing industry for years, working as an acquisitions editor for a literary agency, he chose, as an experiment, to combine his passion for writing with his hobby of Theatre, and in the process, by accident and Providence, discovered his life’s purpose: to be a showman.
Describing himself as a cross between Edgar Allan Poe and P.T. Barnum, Miller is a devotee of Ed Wood, the “worst director of all time!” who inspires Wayne due to his unflappable dedication to his muse and unrestrainable creative drive.
Wayne Miller and Tanya Miller of Evil Cheez Productions for allowing me the honor of producing and directing this amazing play. Through his script, Wayne has done a wonderful job of bringing these women back to life, even if just for a few minutes, to tell their story. Make sure you check out Evil Cheez online and learn about their upcoming productions.
Theatre Huntsville for letting us use The Studio Theatre space at Lowe Mill and for providing the professional lighting design. You can find them, and their upcoming productions, online by clicking HERE or on Facebook.
Please like, share, subscribe, and comment so more people can share in this virtual theatre experience.
To read the actresses comments about their characters, click on the links below and you’ll be taken to the individual posts!
In addition to being a newly published indie author, Tera Lyn Cortez is a wife, mother to five and a voracious reader. She is also a lover of coffee, the ocean and all things chocolate. Her home is in the lovely Pacific Northwest with her family, although she does admit to being consumed with Wanderlust. Life as a writer allows her to indulge in traveling both our world and those that live only in our imagination when she can’t leave her office.
Would you like a chance to win a $25 amazon gift card? Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Isolation (The Soul Scribe Trilogy Book 1) by Tera Lyn Cortez Genre: New Adult Fantasy
What if you woke up one day and discovered all the things about yourself that you thought made you a walking disaster, actually made you very special? Growing up on Earth left Everleigh totally in the dark about the magic that exists in the world. In fact, she was unaware that the realms beyond her own even existed. She spent her life struggling to hide her peculiarities from the world, believing she was an anomaly, a freak of nature. Then a stranger showed up on her doorstep one day, leaving cryptic instructions that would lead her to discover just how much she didn’t know. If she follows them, she will learn that not only do the other realms exist, but that she is an integral part of their survival. The abilities she spent years trying to bury inside are just the tip of the iceberg. She must not only embrace them, but nurture them, and master them as quickly as she can. The world is counting on her, whether they know it or not. By the time she’s capable of making a difference, will it already be too late to save the ones she loves?
Invocation (The Soul Scribe Trilogy Book 2) by Tera Lyn Cortez Genre: New Adult Fantasy
Everleigh’s life has gone from Isolation and loneliness to being bombarded with magical beings from all sides.
When she is forced to flee the safety of the cabin and travel to the other realms, her world is turned upside down yet again. As she struggles to meet the needs of those relying on her, will she be able to balance the demands of learning her magic and preparing for war?
If she wants to survive in a magical world, she’ll have to.
Inauguration (The Soul Scribe Trilogy Book 3) by Tera Lyn Cortez Genre: New Adult Fantasy
What steps would you take to ensure that you came out the victor in a war that had been brewing since before you were born?
Everleigh must answer that question correctly to ensure that magic as they know it will not cease to exist. To protect the realms, and those she has come to love, she must make life-altering choices guided only by her intuition.
She has gathered warriors from every magical race available, seeking out those who are willing to help her put an end to the dark mage’s reign of terror. As they march on to the final battle between good and evil, will their forces prevail? Will everything they have done be enough? Even if it is, will the cost of victory prove to be too much for them to pay?
At the end of the battle they can only hope that what is left of their world will be worth living in.
Any advice I give is solely based on the mistakes I am already aware I made. I’m sure there are plenty that I don’t even know about yet.
First, find a professional cover designer who is proficient in the genre you are writing in. The designer I originally hired made fantastic art, but did not tell me that the covers I asked for would not sell well in the genre. An expensive mistake when you have to turn around and hire someone else to do them over again!
Second, get yourself a good developmental editor. Yes it can be expensive, but it is worth the money. My editor told me originally to cut approximately 30,000 words out of a 60k novel. Ouch! I wound up throwing the whole thing out and starting over, then copying and pasting the portions of the original manuscript that I really loved. It stung, but she was right and the story is so much better for it.
Maybe the most important thing? Keep writing. Get the words down on the page. I have a post it note above my desk that says “You can edit bad writing, but you cannot edit a blank page.” It’s not my quote, I saw it on Facebook and the author was unknown, but it serves as a daily reminder that getting the words down means I am making progress and I can always revise and edit later.
Last, but certainly not least, find your tribe. Gather people around you who believe in you and truly want you to succeed. They are priceless.
Virtual Theatre Performance from The Belles of Whitechapel ~ The Victims of Jack the Ripper Speak, written by Wayne Miller/ Directed by Nina Soden
Actress Jacinda Rose Swinehart-Johnson
JACINDA ROSE SWINEHART is a professional actress, who has worked all over the country since the year 2000. She owns The Rocket City Sweethearts, Huntsville’s Premiere Vintage Entertainment Trio, singing the hits of the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s! JACINDA currently works for Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theatre and Academy as a Teaching Artist, and as an Actress at The Intuitive Planetarium at The US Space and Rocket Center.
When asked her thoughts on Martha Tabram’s monologue, Valerie had this to say: Martha is heartbreaking. She is a perfect example of how life can truly get the better of you, and that your demons do not care what you want. If you don’t have control, you will be a victim to your surroundings, regardless of how many people love you. She was a true pleasure to play, down to every absolute wonderful flaw that made her human. Her life, wasn’t wasted. I was honored to tell her story.
When asked about the process of performing virtual theatre, she said: This pandemic, this new world, has had an effect on me, as an actor. I have been so focused on everything else… My family, the world, the virus, death. My ability to focus has been effected. I find that I haven’t been able to memorize as I normally do, which is disturbing. This is a new era. I am trying to settle in the fact that things will be dramatically different while also denying that things will not be different and won’t change. Our whole world, (entertainment, performance), is drastically changing… Without an answer in the immediate future. I am thankful to be able to create in this type of venue… For without it, I am not.
A Note from the Director
As a writer, I can appreciate every word Wayne put into this script. His research and dedication to his writing did these women proud. As an actress, I hope to one day play all the roles so I can truly connect with each of them on an emotional level. As a director, I am both honored and humbled that Wayne would trust me with this production. I have loved working with each of these actresses and believe that in the short time we had together (2 weeks start to finish) each and every one of them have given a beautiful performance. ~ Nina Soden
WAYNE MILLER is the owner and creative director of EVIL CHEEZ PRODUCTIONS and is the Grand High Poobah of CHEEZISM, the movement he founded (it isn’t organized enough to be called a religion, besides which it isn’t religious) dedicated to providing audiences with the finest in entertainment options on the page and for the stage. (On the big screen, too, if Spielberg ever returns any of his phone calls.) Wayne has been writing stories literally since before he learned his alphabet—he drew pictures. After languishing in the nether-regions of the publishing industry for years, working as an acquisitions editor for a literary agency, he chose, as an experiment, to combine his passion for writing with his hobby of Theatre, and in the process, by accident and Providence, discovered his life’s purpose: to be a showman.
Describing himself as a cross between Edgar Allan Poe and P.T. Barnum, Miller is a devotee of Ed Wood, the “worst director of all time!” who inspires Wayne due to his unflappable dedication to his muse and unrestrainable creative drive.
Wayne Miller and Tanya Miller of Evil Cheez Productions for allowing me the honor of producing and directing this amazing play. Through his script, Wayne has done a wonderful job of bringing these women back to life, even if just for a few minutes, to tell their story. Make sure you check out Evil Cheez online and learn about their upcoming productions.
Theatre Huntsville for letting us use The Studio Theatre space at Lowe Mill and for providing the professional lighting design. You can find them, and their upcoming productions, online by clicking HERE or on Facebook.
Please like, share, subscribe, and comment so more people can share in this virtual theatre experience.
To read the actresses comments about their characters, click on the links below and you’ll be taken to the individual posts!
Shadow Magic (Macabre Academy Book 1) by Sherry Soule Genre: Paranormal Mystery Romance
Ghost summoning? No biggie. Raising the dead? Bring it on. Solving my sister’s sudden disappearance? A bit more complicated…
I’m Serena LeStrange, a necromancer who prefers to hide her freakishly fabulous skills from others. Only my sister makes me feel less of a weirdo, so when she mysteriously vanishes from college, I enroll at Macabre Academy to start my own investigation.
Except this is no ordinary school for the magically inclined, it’s home to all monsters—even the most dangerous ones. And after meeting an incredibly gorgeous vampire and a sinfully hot reaper, I find myself entangled in a passionate, yet forbidden, flirtation. To complicate matters, I get stuck with a ghostly genie sidekick and suspect a sinister sorority of misdeeds.
But to solve the mystery, I’ll need all the help I can get. Someone at Macabre knows what happened to my sister, and I won’t stop until I dig up the truth.
Unfortunately, some dark secrets prefer to stay buried.
Do you enjoy not-so-cozy paranormal mysteries, slow burn romances, and unconventional heroines?
Welcome to Macabre Academy, the first spellbinding book in a paranormal mystery romance trilogy!
PG-13: *No F-bombs, sex (slow burn), or graphic violence, but there are steamy kisses.
Heroine: A quirky supernatural Nancy Drew.
Premise: An older university-age paranormal academy series with mystery and light humor.
Shadow Magic (Macabre Academy Book 1) by Sherry Soule
Would you like a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card? Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Sherry Soule is a Multi-Genre Author, who lives in Northern California with her family and two spoiled rescue cats. She likes to surround herself with positive people and reads daily.
Sherry writes exciting tales of passionate romance, epic drama, and thrilling suspense. Many of her books have been on the Amazon bestseller lists and nominated as top picks in the “Best Paranormal Romance” categories on numerous review sites.
Shadow Magic (Macabre Academy Book 1) by Sherry Soule
Why I Love Writing Paranormal Romance
GUEST POST BY AUTHOR SHERRY SOULE
Today author, Sherry Soule has some exciting news to share with us! Her new paranormal romance mystery, SHADOW MAGIC, was published on May 1, 2020. To celebrate the release of Sherry’s new series, she has put together this fun guest post for fellow booklovers.
As a reader, I have had a long-term love affair with all things dark and romantic in fiction. Paranormal Romance is one of my favorite genres. Ever since I was a child, I have recognized that books are a way to travel to faraway places, have epic adventures, and meet dashing fictional men.
The coolest part for me as a writer is that I can do things in the paranormal genre that are not acceptable in other ones. And as a reader, you get to step out of your ordinary world, where everything is predictable, and you can jump into a realm that is mysterious, magical, and exciting.
In my current release, SHADOW MAGIC, the original draft of this novel had a witch trying to join a local coven, but my heroine kept insisting she wasn’t a witch. No, it turns out that Serena is an animal-loving necromancer, who wants to get a necromancy license to resurrect pets and familiars. Then a sexy grim reaper and a handsome vampire showed up in the story, vying for Serena’s affection, and the story took off from there…
We all have diverse tastes in literature. Most of you will have various genres that you love to read, and that’s what makes reading so fascinating. Each one of us will enjoy different types of characters, genres, and tropes. And I don’t know about you, but I need some romance in almost every book I read.
In my own novels, I love getting my heroine into sticky situations, where even I’m not sure how she’s going to get out of them. And in my stories, the hero doesn’t always show up and save her—she usually saves herself. I also love adding in the budding romance, and creating fictional worlds with vivid settings. And I like the feeling that comes from stretching my imagination. It’s that continual “what if…”
Like…what if a vampire gave you his blood?
What if an opening to Hell was directly under your house?
What if you found out you were born into a family of witches?
What if you had the power to raise the dead?
What is your favorite paranormal romance novel or series? Let me know in the comments!
It was my honor to be your guest today. Thank you so much for allowing me to chat about my new series. I sincerely hope you guys enjoyed this post. Now go feed your mind with a book. Preferably one of mine. 😀
Virtual Theatre Performance from The Belles of Whitechapel ~ The Victims of Jack the Ripper Speak, written by Wayne Miller/ Directed by Nina Soden
Actress Valerie Clemons
Valerie Clemons loves live theatre, and is eager to be a part of this new experience of virtual theatre! Whether she is playing the lead on stage, or pulling a curtain backstage, Valerie loves being a part of helping transport folks from their worries, for just a couple of hours. Thank you, Nina, for this opportunity to bring the words of Annie to life. Valerie lives in Albertville with her favorite canine, RobertAnne.
When asked her thoughts on Annie Millwood’s monologue, Valerie had this to say:
I feel that Annie Millwood wanted so much more from life that what she ended up with. She was so happy to have begun a life as the proud wife of a decorated soldier. Being Nicky’s wife was her identity, and she was shattered when his death left her alone and penniless. But Annie was a fighter, and although she was devastated and never moved past her loss, she held her head high, and did whatever she had to do, in order to survive.
I admire Annie’s strength. She faced such humiliation and degradation, and still felt she had some dignity. The fact that her death is not acknowledged as an official “Ripper” murder upsets her; she is almost jealous and offended that she went unnoticed. She wasn’t invisible in life, and she doesn’t want to be invisible in death.
When asked about the process of performing virtual theatre, she said: I had never attempted a monologue before this experience, and in all honesty, I had significant anxiety about it. Ok, pretty much full-fledged panic attacks once or twice. I quickly realized that learning 20 paragraphs, completely on my own, with no other actors to react to or even rehearse with, blasted me far from my comfort zone. Turns out my dog didn’t give notes or feedback, which was disappointing.
And only 2 weeks to prepare? Eeeek!
However, I ended up THOROUGHLY enjoying the experience, despite the anxiety. Having such a condensed window of study time forced me to focus, and I appreciated the concentration. I do believe I still prefer having a stage full of other actors to respond to. And live audiences!! The energy emitted from them revs me as an actor.
I was honored to have been chosen to bring Annie’s words to life. I hope viewers enjoy the story as much as I enjoyed sharing it with them.
A Note from the Director
As a writer, I can appreciate every word Wayne put into this script. His research and dedication to his writing did these women proud. As an actress, I hope to one day play all the roles so I can truly connect with each of them on an emotional level. As a director, I am both honored and humbled that Wayne would trust me with this production. I have loved working with each of these actresses and believe that in the short time we had together (2 weeks start to finish) each and every one of them have given a beautiful performance. ~ Nina Soden
WAYNE MILLER is the owner and creative director of EVIL CHEEZ PRODUCTIONS and is the Grand High Poobah of CHEEZISM, the movement he founded (it isn’t organized enough to be called a religion, besides which it isn’t religious) dedicated to providing audiences with the finest in entertainment options on the page and for the stage. (On the big screen, too, if Spielberg ever returns any of his phone calls.) Wayne has been writing stories literally since before he learned his alphabet—he drew pictures. After languishing in the nether-regions of the publishing industry for years, working as an acquisitions editor for a literary agency, he chose, as an experiment, to combine his passion for writing with his hobby of Theatre, and in the process, by accident and Providence, discovered his life’s purpose: to be a showman.
Describing himself as a cross between Edgar Allan Poe and P.T. Barnum, Miller is a devotee of Ed Wood, the “worst director of all time!” who inspires Wayne due to his unflappable dedication to his muse and unrestrainable creative drive.
Wayne Miller and Tanya Miller of Evil Cheez Productions for allowing me the honor of producing and directing this amazing play. Through his script, Wayne has done a wonderful job of bringing these women back to life, even if just for a few minutes, to tell their story. Make sure you check out Evil Cheez online and learn about their upcoming productions.
Theatre Huntsville for letting us use The Studio Theatre space at Lowe Mill and for providing the professional lighting design. You can find them, and their upcoming productions, online by clicking HERE or on Facebook.
Please like, share, subscribe, and comment so more people can share in this virtual theatre experience.
To read the actresses comments about their characters, click on the links below and you’ll be taken to the individual posts!
“A superb suspense writer…Brava, Ruth Ware. I daresay even Henry James would be impressed.” —Maureen Corrigan, author of So We Read On
“This appropriately twisty Turn of the Screw update finds the Woman in Cabin 10 author in her most menacing mode, unfurling a shocking saga of murder and deception.” —Entertainment Weekly
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lying Game and The Death of Mrs. Westaway comes this thrilling novel that explores the dark side of technology.
When she stumbles across the ad, she’s looking for something else completely. But it seems like too good an opportunity to miss—a live-in nannying post, with a staggeringly generous salary. And when Rowan Caine arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten—by the luxurious “smart” home fitted out with all modern conveniences, by the beautiful Scottish Highlands, and by this picture-perfect family.
What she doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare—one that will end with a child dead and herself in prison awaiting trial for murder.
Writing to her lawyer from prison, she struggles to explain the events that led to her incarceration. It wasn’t just the constant surveillance from the home’s cameras, or the malfunctioning technology that woke the household with booming music, or turned the lights off at the worst possible time. It wasn’t just the girls, who turned out to be a far cry from the immaculately behaved model children she met at her interview. It wasn’t even the way she was left alone for weeks at a time, with no adults around apart from the enigmatic handyman.
It was everything.
She knows she’s made mistakes. She admits that she lied to obtain the post, and that her behavior toward the children wasn’t always ideal. She’s not innocent, by any means. But, she maintains, she’s not guilty—at least not of murder—but somebody is.
Full of spellbinding menace and told in Ruth Ware’s signature suspenseful style, The Turn of the Key is an unputdownable thriller from the Agatha Christie of our time.
This is the first book I’ve read by Ruth Ware, but I will definately keep my eyes open for other titles by her.
STORY (★★★★★)
I don’t often give a 5-star review, but loved this story. It was unique and just really engaging. From chapter one all the way until the end, I was sucked in and wanted to keep reading. Its a ghost story with so many twists that your constantly second guessing what you think you know is happening.
The entire book is a letter to Mr. Wrexham, a lawyer who the main character is hoping can get her out of prison for a murder she says she didn’t commit. The letter goes into great detail, pulling you into the world as if you were there with her the whole time.
WRITING (★★★★★)
Ruth Ware is a wonderful author with a skill for painting a picture with her words. If you aren’t a fan of ghost stories but you like thriller, you might not want to read this one late at night, but you’ll still want to read it! I have absolutely nothing negative to say about the writing. I even loved the first few chapters which were her throwaway letters…
CHARACTERS (★★★★★)
Rowan is easily relatable and written with such realistic characteristics that she seems real.
Mrs. Elincourt is the tired wife/mother who you feel sorry for and yet there is something about her that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.
Mr. Elincourt… There is nothing good that can be said about this man. He is very well written, but as a reader, you are given more reasons to dislike him than to like him.
APPEARANCE (★★★★★)
I love this cover. Whenever I read a book, I’m always looking for the moment the book cover and the story connect. It took a while with this one, but when it did, it was a great moment. I hope you’ll read the story to find out what ‘the turn of the key’ means.
FAVORITE QUOTES:
“People do go mad, you know, if you stop them from sleeping for long enough…”
“The ghosts, she had sobbed. The ghosts wouldn’t like it.”
Ruth Ware is an international number one bestseller. Her thrillers In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, The Lying Game and The Death of Mrs Westaway have appeared on bestseller lists around the world, including the Sunday Times and New York Times, and she is published in more than 40 languages. She lives on the south coast of England, with her family.
Visit http://www.ruthware.com to find out more, or find her on facebook or twitter as @RuthWareWriter
Also by Ruth Ware
Click on the cover images below to read more about each selection and to order your copies today!
There are only two kinds of people left on the earth: Donors and Recipients.
Sixteen-year-old Aston Vazeto hates the idea of selling her blood for money and is determined to be the first Donor in New World history to never donate.
But after a suspicious accident at her father’s power plant leaves her family diving deeper into poverty, Aston has no other choice except to enter the annual blood auctions, where Recipients bid on the richest blood. With the highest test results ever seen, Aston’s blood becomes the most sought-after in history, and will likely bring a large price at auctions.
When her friends are caught tampering with their donations, they are arrested and tortured. Knowing she puts her family’s safety and income at risk Aston takes advantage of an opportunity to escape donation facility drugs meant to keep Donors complacent. Free to feel and free to love she is caught between Gannet, a kind facility technician, and Marcus, a sarcastic rebel like herself. Dancing at Blood Auction Balls and kissing a donor in coat closets under the stairs has Aston confused between joining the uprising she hears rumors about or merely following the life her blood was meant to lead.
I grew up with a pretty normal childhood, running barefoot in the Appalachian mountains, playing with turtles and innocently killing them by leaving them on their backs so I could play house with them again the next day. I don’t think I always dreamed of being an author. It was just something I did. I made up stories about my dead turtles. I named my fingers and let them battle out family feuds. I wrote about myself in my journal when what I wished would happen was better than what actually did (sorry, Mom for the scare. I still promise I never really snuck over to a party and kissed my brothers friend). What a wonderful surprise when something “I just did” suddenly became something others enjoyed. I’m so forever grateful to my publisher for giving me a chance to share my not-so-normal stories with the whole world.
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What is something unique/quirky about you?
I can whistle like a cricket? Lol.
Tell us something really interesting that’s happened to you!
I was born with a blood disorder called polycythemia which means my blood is too thick. It’s possibly why I’m so fascinated by blood. I’ve never been able to donate blood or plasma. I found out recently I also have a blood disorder called Von Willebrands, which means I bleed easily so maybe that balances out the thick blood, I don’t know. When I was born doctors wanted to do a complete blood transfusion. My dad refused, and a team of nurses stayed with me overnight. Somehow things worked out, and now here I am writing books about donors and blood banks.
Where were you born/grew up at?
A tiny town in the Appalachian Mountains called Low Moor, VA
What kind of world ruler would you be?
Probably a very inconsistent one. I’m no good at keeping up with schedules or routines. I’m a “live by the seat of my pants” kind of person, and it drives my husband crazy. But we get a lot of things done and have a ton of amazing adventures.
What are you passionate about these days?
Right now I’m super into magic books. I just finished a contemporary magic book and then watched the Witcher on Netflix. Now I want to write a full-on dark fantasy novel.
What do you do to unwind and relax?
We may have just moved solely for the purpose of having a bigger bathtub. A hot bath with a fun Netflix show or good book is my favorite thing to do.
How to find time to write as a parent?
I think I’ve gotten really good at just zoning things out. Daniel Tiger no longer phases me. I also am a crossing guard, so five times a day I get to sit in my car, watch for kids coming to cross the road, and think all about my books. I’d say about 40% of my books are written on my phone in the car.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
When I wrote my first book. I typed “The End” and felt so much accomplishment. Writing a novel was so exhilarating and exciting to know all the in’s and outs and the behind-the-scenes parts of a story was so much more fun than reading. I got addicted pretty quickly. I wrote five full-length novels, six picture books, 3 short stories (one that won Silver Honorable Mention in the Writers of the Future contest), and won a few flash fiction contests all in the first two years after writing that first book. I’ve discovered that writing is everything that has made me weird my whole life. Now in the writing world I’m suddenly completely normal.
Do you have a favorite movie?
“While You Were Sleeping” is one of my all time favorite movies, but “Labyrinth” is a close second. If I could combine those two that’d be a super cool story.
Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?
All of them. This dystopian I think would be a cool Netflix series. After everything we’re going through now with COVID-19, my story is super relevant.
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
Oh that’s a hard one. I love frogs, and collect little trinkets of them, but I don’t know if I’d consider myself one. I also love owls. I collect those too. As a writer I’m probably something that hibernates. Like a bear. Mostly because I can’t stay consistent with my writing. I’ll go weeks without turning my computer on and then sit down and write 40,000 words in a week.
What inspired you to write this book?
Well first off, like I said, I’ve always had a fascination with blood and donations, since it’s something I have no experience in. But the idea for this specific story started when my husband decided to donate plasma one year in order to have a little extra Christmas money. He saw other fellow teachers there, and it made me a little sad that they were making so little that they had to risk their health in order to afford things for their families. And then he got sick, and my husband never gets sick. Anyone who’s ever been in a plasma facility knows what I’m talking about when I say they’re a little trippy. Poster children on every wall and weird messages talking about how your donations save people are all over the place. The idea of a society separated by the need for blood formed, and the donors were patterned off my poor husband who gave so much for us to have a great Christmas one year.
What can we expect from you in the future?
I have lots of ideas all over the place, but something that seems to stay consistent is my angsty romance that I just can’t get enough of. I am querying a science fiction suicide story right now that has a lot of magical realism, and I’m sending in book two of this series to my editor next week. Lots of exciting things happening that I’m super stoked about.
Do you have any “side stories” about the characters?
Yeah. Originally the best friend, Lazuli ( pronounced La – zoo- ligh) wasn’t supposed to be a main part of the story. As it evolved, though, she became a huge component to several plot points and subplots. I have lots of small stories that were her version of the story that I’ll probably put up somewhere sometime for fun.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Blood Numbers?
Oh man, I really got to know and love these characters. It’s weird when critique partners would give suggestions, and I knew my fake people so well I could say “nah, they would never say that.”
My main character is Aston. She’s a 16 year old donor who, as the fourth daughter of a man who wanted sons, was raised with strong opinions about their government. She is an artist. She’s impulsive and very naïve. She’s a bit selfish but has good intentions which is part of her story arc. She doesn’t want to admit it but she has a thing for her technician, Gannet. He’s got a pretty face but is clearly a robot to the system because of the drugs given to donors. When Aston finds a way to avoid the drugs, she doesn’t think she could ever be with someone so robotically happy all the time. Which is what makes Marcus so appealing even if a bit annoying. He’s rugged and sickly but free to do as he pleases. His determination and zeal draws her in even though her parents would never approve of a low-numbered sickly donor.
How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?
I knew I wanted a society divided by blood, the infected on one side of the wall that bid on healthy donors’ blood in order to be cured, and donors on the other side who are so poor they’re willing to donate themselves to death. But the idea for the characters came actually from watching Aladdin with my kids. Telling too much about that though would give too much away so you’ll have to just read the book:) * wink wink*
Where did you come up with the names in the story?
My husband is a birder. I think without realizing it I patterned Aston’s father after my husband. I love the kind of Dad he is and he loves birds, so I put a lot of the names of birds that we joked about naming our kids. Gannets are sea birds; Lazuli Buntings are beautiful blue birds, and Aston- well that’s not a bird. I actually took a job working at an apartment complex called “The Aston” the day I started plotting the concept in my head. It only seemed fitting.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
The surprises. I always knew the basic skeleton of the story. I knew I needed to get from one plot point to the next, but the way I would get there sometimes was so exciting. “Yes, a ball! And at the ball there will be this crazy awesome thing that happens that leads us right to this ridiculous conflict!”
How did you come up with the title of your first novel?
Um, my husband, the Biologist, helped me come up with it, but I always thought it sounded kinda cheesy. I originally wanted Book One to be called “Donors”, and Book Two would be “Recipients”, and who knows what Book Three would be. But my husband kept insisting and then my critique group too. Then when the publisher took over they also agreed that they liked it more.
Who designed your book covers?
Ashley Litersky with Immortal Works Press.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Actually, yeah there’s a couple things. Now that I’m writing the third book there are a few ideas that come up that would have been really cool to put some foreshadowing about in book one.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from yourimagination?
Aston calls her mother Mam and she is sort of the villain of book one. It was actually one of the characters that was the most fun to write. I kept having to call my own Mom though and make sure she knew I wasn’t writing about her, haha. I knew she would be concerned about what others thought about my relationship with her and so let me take this opportunity to say: my mom is one of my best friends. Mam however is an awfully nasty product of the system. She is patterned after the mother in Pride and Prejudice. I took all the rude and awful things about Mrs. Bennet and magnified them. She was the one voice in my head that was louder and more obnoxious sounding than Aston’s.
What is your favorite part of this book and why?
Weirdly enough it’s a torture scene. It’s a moment when Aston learns to have compassion on her own mother from seeing another mom get tortured. It helps her understand a little about why her mom is the way she is, and I cried through the whole thing. Mrs. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, after all, was only trying to get her girls married in a society where that was the only prospect they had. Would she have been a different kind of mother if they lived today where girls are free to grow up and be astronauts and presidents of companies?
If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And whatwould you do during that day?
I actually found Gannet to be a much more interesting character than I originally realized. He felt so mysterious even to me. I think I’d pick him and want him to just show me his childhood home and tell me about his story. He’s one I’d love to write a backstory for as well even though I know the basics of it in my head.
Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of thestory?
I have the reins but my characters definitely are vocal. Most of the time they were the ones leading from plot point to plot point. Lazuli wasn’t really unpredictable but just kept popping up as the solution to certain plot predicaments. She was somehow always the answer for how to answer certain needs for conflict. I put the poor girl through a lot, the poor thing.
Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.
One of the things that makes my book super interesting now is how relevant it is to our times. A society that recovers from biological warfare after viruses spread through and killed a third of the earth population? A new government that separates and quarantines society based on health? A system that is organized to take plasma from the recovered and inject it into the sick in order to save them? This is what we are experiencing now with COVID-19! The American Red Cross has agreed to team up with me and I’m holding a national blood drive on May the 4th and will be at the Provo Utah Library to help American Red Cross! They are asking for anyone who has recovered from COVID-19 to please donate plasma. The very first patient that received this treatment recovered in record time. It’s so crazy to read headlines that I made up in my novel. Even if you haven’t had COVID-19 please consider donating blood. The American Red Cross helps save lives everyday but their blood bank has dwindled significantly with the shut down. Use the link redcrossblood.org and enter your zip code to find your nearest blood drive. Using hashtag: #BloodNumbersDrive share a picture proving your donation whether a sticker saying you gave blood or a picture of you donating on any social media and be entered for extra chances to win Blood Numbers t-shirts, tattoos, and pens.
What did you edit out of this book?
There was a dream sequence that gives a huge foreshadowing of the end but the editor didn’t think it was super necessary. I love reading that kind of thing the second time through though once you know the ending and can say “Oh my gosh it totally told me right here and I didn’t even notice!”
Is there a writer which brain you would love to pick for advice? Who would that be andwhy?
Stephenie Meyer. I know she gets a lot of flak in the writing world, but no matter what you want to say about her writing she is an amazing story teller. She’s also who really opened up the world to this idea of stay-at-home moms turned authors. I remember years ago listening to her say in an interview that if you have an idea just write it. She is a big inspiration to me.
Fun Facts/Behind the Scenes/Did You Know?’-type tidbits about book or the writingprocess of the book.
A vertical transfer virus is what I based my virus off of. It is technically a thing in biology but has never really occurred yet. It’s when a virus is passed down from mother to child. It’s, in the simplest of terms, making cancer a virus. So not only can you catch it if someone sneezes on you but then once you have it, it attaches to your DNA and you can pass it on to your posterity as well. Writing the backstory about the virus and the wars was actually more exciting than I thought it would be. The first draft version of the story didn’t have a whole lot about that. Originally I wanted it to be more about the romance but, then a reader mentioned that she was up late telling her husband about my book and all he had questions about were the wars. How did they get that way? What is the virus and why is it scary? It helped me realize I needed more about the details of their world and went back to the drawing board.
Did you participate in last week’s #WritingWednesday post? It was a thank you letter. If you haven’t posted your response, click HEREso you can do that now. Then, make sure you check in here ~ every Wednesday ~ for the latest #WritingWednesday writing prompt! Now, back to today’s regularly scheduled post…
Remember, #WritingWednesday is an EASY, STRESS-FREE, weekly writing challenge.
Read the writing prompt below,
Spend 5 minutes writing (in your own voice or the voice of a character you’re writing) whatever comes to mind,
DON’T EDIT what you write! IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT!
The goal is 5 minutes of creativity.
Today, I’m writing in the voice of Tommas, a character in my current WIP.
Today’s writing prompt:
If you could go back in time exactly 10 years and give yourself some advice, what would you tell yourself?
Never tell. Keep your powers hidden.
You see, as a psychokinetic I’m valuable, or dangerous, I guess it depends on who you ask. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t have my powers, but then again, I don’t remember much from my early childhood. At first it was small things; moving a glass across the kitchen table, turning out the lights without touching the switch, or making my parents or friends think someone has tapped them on the shoulder from across the room.
At first, my parents played it off as parlor tricks, sleight of hand, magic. They weren’t sure where I was learning it, but they seemed impressed. At the very least, they were entertained. I let them believe what they needed to believe, that none of it was real.
I should have kept that secret.
As I’ve gotten older, my powers have gotten stronger as did my ego. When other metamorphs were discovered, I should have stopped using my powers. I should have realized the danger they put me in. I was careless and people I loved got hurt. That’s when they found me. That’s when my life changed.
Alright, now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt [If you could go back in time exactly 10 years and give yourself some advice, what would you tell yourself?] inspires in you. So, if you are willing, go to the comment section below and start typing. Take 5 minutes and let’s see what you come up with!
Looking for daily writing inspiration? Check out my latest publication: #WRITINGPROMPTS
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What books have you added to your May 2020 reading list? Comment below and let me know!
Nina Soden 